Process for mushroom culture



V. STEVES PROCESS FOR MUSH'ROOM CULTURE Aug. 19, 1930.

Filed Aug. 19

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INVENTOR; YERNON .52351255.

A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1930 UNITED STATES PATVENT' QFFIA'CE VERNON STEVES, OF OLEUM, CALI'ORNIA PBOCESS FOR MUSHROOE CULTURE #pplication filed Aug'ut 19, 1929. Serial No. 886394.

trolled conditions as to temperatures and humidity, and has for its ObjCtS to`render the process more expeditious, and more productive at lessened cost, and to im rove upon m co-pending application', erial No. 387,127, filed August 20, 1929.

In the culture of mushrooms, as ordinarily practiced, no particular'attention'has been given to the proper reparation of the soil,

` maintenance of suita le moisture conditions,

temperature "regulation, nor largely increased v crops within restricted' areas.

Instead of depending 'solely upon a single surface area for the growth of mushrooms, I employ trays of screen structure, in the utilization of which, all surfaces, tops, bottoms,

- sides and ends, contribute to the Cultural area, the growths extending therethrou h and beyond in all directions, thus provi ing an increased from soll contaminations and in ositions rendering the crop easily and rea ily harvested.

Lu'shrooms do best when grown in total darkness, admitting light only when working in the propagating room. But slight ve'ntilation should be allowed in the room, as this will .assist' in preventing the undue escape i of moisture from the air and provide those conditions so necessary to successful mushroom growing. However, care is to be taken to not too greatly reduce ventilation, as to do so would result in such a degree of precipitation as to cause water to drip from ob ects throughout the room. Nevertheless, it is important that the air be kept fresh, yet using as little ventilation as will permit the moisture in the soil to remain there for long periods without supplying additional Water.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus suitable for the purpose of carrying out my process, in whic F igure 1 is a vertical sectonal View showing a propagating room having=mounted ielding area and a product freed therein in tiers a plurality of wire-mesh? propagatin trays, a centrally located heating element, an a suitablerevolving blower fan, a vent also being shown leading from the heating element to the atmosphe're;

F igure 2 isa side elevation illustrating the preferred form of wire-mesh ropagating .tray for use in connection witll my proc ess; and v e 4 F' i ure 3 is a sectional detail of the same.

lt simpo'rtant in the growth of mushrooms that a temperature of not less than 53 degrees, nor more than 63 de ees, F ahrenheit, be constahtly maintained in the propagating room.

This is not a difiicult temperature tobe maintained, but, as the outer part of the room 5 will normally be at a much lower degree than that of the space 6 next to the heater 7, thereof, the ,actual mean temperature should be practically constant, or with but slight variatio'ns. It is to be understood that in the growing of mushrooms, in accordance with my process, the right temperature must be maintained throughout the year, and that, ordinarily, the temperature for individual wire-mes trays 8, should not vary more than three or four degrees during the entire time required for the develo ment of the crop.

If the .weather or climate is such that the normal 'temperature of the propagating room 5 is raised above sixty degrees, Fahrenheit, it will be necessary to install a suitable refrigerating means (not shown). A certain well-known type of refrigerating machine has proven to be particularly well adapted for this purpose, as it can be readily installed, either in the heating chamber of the heater 7, or laced on the top 9 thereof.

hese refrigerating machines are automatic in action and will properly control the temperature without attention. An electrc fan 10 is operated in connection with a re: frigerating means, and in the same manner as if it were the heater that was being used. If the refrigerating machine is operated from top of heater, the fan 10 should be operated directly above it, that the cool air may be circulnted freely throughout the entire room.

Mushrooms, in accordance with my process, are grown almost entirely in a pure fertilizer, there bein g buta very slight 'covering of loan used'on'the top of-t'he prepared fertlizer. The ,only- `fertilizer 'thatcan be" used sucessfully ishorsenanure. To prepare t-so that. the mushroon spawn will grow; it is very inportant'that it be heated in the following manner: First, twice the quantity ot' ma nure that'would appear to be necessary to fill all the mushroonitrays intended for use 'should b'e procured. fiThe fre-*best horse manure that'is to be.ha'd should be seleeted which should also include the part's ot the bedding material containing the liquids. This nnure is then 'stacked in some old shed, not morethan fire feet in depth. and should bepacked solid. lt it is not already quite wet,' it should be nade so by sprinkling it; untilit is, but by 'no -neans'drenching it.

should be allowed to continue heating for a period of froni twenty-tiveto thirty days; Considerable"'ttention should-he gi\^'-`. themanure at thisstage, and, about once a \\'(`(`l\, it should beforked over well, and. t' found `to be too dry, some-water should he applied,

' 'render it useless for nushrooni 'growing, but

might'give rise tospontaneous conhuston.

Third-2 After the iii-st three weeks, the bacteria of rapid decay will become less and less, thetemperature-begin to lower, and the mass becomesalmost odorless. i At this time, it should be gotten into' the properly moistenetl condition for the trays,-whieh is a step of importance, as no more water should he applied to 'the soil for several weeks. The proper amount of noisture for the fcrtilizer, at this time, is the saniel as that maintained throughout the crop, this being just suticient to render it set enough to be quite noist but not enough so' as to cause a drop ot' water to collect on the bottom of-the trays after being placed inthem.=

A thermometer should be inserted into the stack of fertilizer,-at inter-Vals, to ascertan temperature changes in the mass, and, when the temperature in the center of the mass has been lowered to or 73 degrees l `ahrenheit,

`it is in readiness for putting in the trays and to receive the spawn.

Success in mushroom culture is not possible With an other fertilizer than horse Inanure, and this should not be mixed with other fertilizers. Good crops`of mushroons cannot be Secured from man ures that were well rotted before beginning the heating process.

After the fcrmenting fertilizer has. passed a period of ifteen days, and is still heating at high temperature, one pound of the compost is taken out for each tray intended to be used. This fertilizer is then put in a `sprinltlcd lightly.

shallaw box, and the same amountof 'good moist black heavy loan is mixed with it. This mass is then well mixed and under no circunstancc should it be uore than six inrhes deep. This box is then placed in the culture room, or some place where its tei'perature `'will not fall below :333. nor ris(` above ti?, dc-

grees;Pahrenlu-it. lt' it is not 'quite noist enough to begin the spawr` it will have to be After twentr-i'our hours. the temperature ot' this soil should be noted. and ii' it has' lowercd to 75 degrces; or to the tcnperatureot' the propagating roou it is n readiuess .for plauting the starter. i

For spawniug purposes a brick of the light eolorcd variety ot' nushroom spawn ito he used tor every tivc trays: -The c 'lun-ks.

just as theyconc.` without' lu'ealiug thcudown` should be put into the center ot' the soi'l in a lux. The next day theyu ill have been found to have, sot'teued u pt and hould then be broken into small pieces about the size of a thunb-cnd. No water should be added to the soil. The-e' pieces of mushrooui spawn are theu'nixcl up well with'the entire soil.

and packe d extremely solid. and the bed then covcrcd aii-d kept corcrel with a double thiri(- uers oi' graiu sacks. ther nustbe boiled for one hour, then allowed to becone eool. and are then rcadr 'i'or covering the sil. 'l`he sacks arc not to be i'ully d'icd; merely surplus water squcezed out of' and let sct until the'starlt ot' prepared fertilizor is ready for the trays and spawning. dinarily the soil will tay uoist during the entire time it is in the box. without additional water;howercr. if it does not. and begins to got dry. it must be sprinlcled rcrv liglitlv` or pist enough to get it. ba k into the primer noistcned condition. It tlu brick spawi is good. white nold-like threadswill appear peuctrating thosoil. This can' usuallv be seen about the tcnth day and. when it is tiue to begin spawuing the trays. it will be quite like a solid uass of white mold mixed in with the soil. and is now the best nushroom spawn that it is possibleto produce. The bel-'t time to use this. now fast growing spawn. for planting in the trays is'l etween the 14th and list days. th(` time being' counted i'rou the day when the first brick pawn was llttllit'tl.

The day before planting the spawn in the trays, one large bucketiul of heart black loau should be provided for each trar and this` luani placed as ncar as possible in thc staclc ot prepared iertilizer. that it inav be n\'enieutl at hand when ready to case the trays. As preriously stated. any soil will hot ucet. rcquirenents in this worlt. the most serious` trouble to bc apprehended thercfroni bcing that of niushroon growth on the inside of Before using-the sacks the screen. Sandand clay are equally unsatisfactory for the purpose. Excessive' moistu re in the loam used for tray casing is to be avoided. This` while quite moist, should never go beyond the point ot' being almost sticlcy, or a point at which water would drip from it. p

Aftercompleting the processing of the fertilizer and itstemperature, ot' its own accord, having lowered to that of froni to 73 degrees, it should be put in the. mushroom trays and spawned at once. To properly till the trays, they should be taken out to the stack of prepared fertilizer and there filled one at a time, first parking about one inch of the tertilizer in the botton of each tray then sprinkling in a little of the prepared nnshroom spawn all around the entire tray bottom, and

completing the filling with fertilizer.

As the filling up of the sides progresses. it is required that some spawn be placed about one inch' from the wre. and also that. the

spawn be completely scattered throughoutthe fertilizer lying within one inch of the wire, doing this to the ends. well as to the sides and bottom. Spawn should not be put in the center of trays, nor in any other place, but be contined to the one inch limit The fertilizer should be p'a'cked in the trays just as solidly as it is possible to be done without distortion of the shape of the trays. A little spawn should also be put on the top part of the tray, the sam as for the bottom. The prepared spawn should be weighed. using no more than two pounds for the spawning of each tray, the spawn being previously broken up into quite fine pieces, if not already in that condition. No water is to be used on the prepared spawn during time of spawning the trays.

Tray casing is to immediately follow the filling of the last tray, and consists of first fort-ing as much of the black loan through the wire-mesh into the fertilizer as can be conveniently done, after which a board-covering hearing a piece of timber of a suitable thickness is placed thereover and forced down thereupon by means of cinching-straps, provided with buckles and eye-lets, that have been placed thereabout.

A tray thus cased, is placed on a table bottom-side up, and a small portion of the black loan' forced through the mesh by the aid of a mason s trowel. If the loam be just right. it will smooth down as though it were plaster that was being worked. but this conting should be of no greater tlickness than can beforced inside the trty and till completely all the moshes of the 'wire-screen. If this casing is not properly applied. the mushrooms will grow on the inside ot the wire, with resulting eontamination and inconvenience in plucking them. The object is to form a coating of tight fitting soil, through which, as the spawn grows, it may force all the developing threads to the outside of the wire; since it is there that the pin-head mushroons first begn, and as they grow, are kept free' from 'alldirt and are retained in positions from. -whiclr they may be -readily pluekcd. V

The threads penetrate the soil and fertilizer outwardly, supplying nutriment to the growing. nuslroons. After properly casing the sides, ends and bottom, the board and straps should be removed from the top and a layer 'of one and a half inches of loam should he prcssed over, this being made to come up even with the top rim of the tray and to about one inch higher in the center. this giving soil to till up the tray, as it will shrink sone after the crop begins hearing. The same board cover and straps should be used on all the trays as they are being cased.

The trays are then hauled to the room and placed in their racks 11 the "day they are spawned. The trays should be placed in the raeks 11 in a properly arranged nanner, as they are not to be moved again until after the erop is grown and harvested, after which they are to be taken out to beagain filled with new soil; Trays that are moved after the spawn begins .coming to the screen, produce most all mnshrooms on the inside of the wire-mesh, and will soon stop hearing altogether. However. it is sometimes necessary to pull out the trays from the racks, in order to pick the mushrooms. If care is used to not crack or chip olt' any of the casing loam, no actual harm is likely to happen to the growing mushrooms.

It is usually not necessary to apply any water to the soil for two or three weeks after spawning, as too much water will positively destroy the profits of the nnshroom crop; but it will prove quite as harmful, if the soil be allowed to become too dry. Proper conditions require that the soil be kept quite moist and, when it appears to be getting a little dry, the best way to restore hunidity is to apply an extremely small amount of water by sprinkling or spray'ing a small amount just over the top soil. and no attenpt should be made to wet the soil to a greater depth than an inch or two, and repeating in a day or two. Humidified after this manner. the soil will be found to be more satisfactorily moistened throughout than it Would be` were the full amount of water to be supplied at one time.

The tray department 12 of the propagating room 5 is filled with trays by placing them one above the other and setting then so that they will slide properly between the racks 11. As many of the racks may be placed in the room as there is possible space for, beginning a row about three feet from the walls 13, building it all the way down the room and reaching to within one foot of the ceiling 14 thereof, and building as many of these tiers as the height of the room will permit. A pas- 'ected to greatly varying temperatures durmg the period of growth will not begin bearing for some time later. The trays in the cooler parts of the propagating room and under constantly maintained temperatures of from 53 to 59 degrees,`usually begin hearing by the Seventh or eighth week. If the temperatures of the room have varied some eight or ten degrees daily during this growing period, the hearing will not begin until after the eighth week, if it begins at all. Temperatures of wide variation are considered fatal to the growing spawn. A temperature below 53 degrees s much less harmful to the spawn than is one of above 63 degrees.

The life term of a single crop varies greatly, rangin from six weeks to as many months. orrditions under which the mushrooms are being own control the life of the spawn. Trays t at produce large 'and solid buttons will continue hearing many months, if conditions remain constant.

Ten pounds of button mushrooms er month' per trays is a good average ye d; however, in many-cases, more than double that amount may be obtained under proper conditions.

Exceedingly big ields are to be obtained only when the -fres manure used as a fertilizer contains an extra amount of the natural liquids.

Sometimes the mushrooms will all come single, each having a single feedng thread which enetrates the soil on the insi e of the tray; hese are picked by graspingboththe cap and the stern and givin a slight twist,` just on the inother mushrooms and the prevention thereby of a lowering of the grade.

Sometimes the entire crop will be produced in clusters of'from a dozen to'more than a hundredin one unit, this seeming to always occur'in'cases where extra large crops are obtainedi In picking these mushrooms from the clusters, extra care must be taken not to break loose any of the small buttons from the feeding threads. It is quite diflicult to do this, but it should be remembered that every small button broken ofi from the c'onnecting threads is most certainly reducing the yield of the cro A sharp pen knife is often used to good a vantage in icking the mushrooms.

In all cases, the cor s should be cut oti even with the wire, Never under any condition should a mushroom be left growing on the tray after the veil under the cap begins to break and open up. If this hap ens, rt usually has such a weight that it brea s hundreds of the little button mushrooms off the wire just immediately under it. The proper size to pick depends wholly on the market demand. Ordinarilly, the larger buttons are most profitable for t e grower to roduce. Mushrooms should always be sorte and packed in pound boxes.

They should be marketed a few hours after being picked, if the highest prices are to be expected. They should never be washed, as this causes their color to change. All soil that may have adhered to the stems should be brushed off. All should be cut to a uniform length of stems, one inch, to give to them a neat appearance. Picking should be done daily, if the temperature of the room is maintained at 60 degrees or more if of much lower temperature, every other day will be found to meet satisfactorily the requircments.

Continued production is best Secured in the following manner: As soon as the first crop of mushrooms. is i beginnin to bear, more fertilizer should be prepare this requiring, at this time, only about one' fourth the amount first used. Later, as a few of the trays begin lowering in production, they can be emptied, refilled--and res awned, and replaced into their original ce l in the propagating room.

It will be found that the room, if thus prop-' erly cared for, will contain about an equal number of new producing trays by the time the last ones of the first crop have begun to lower in production.

Fogging-ofl' is perhaps the most common trouble experienced among commercial mushroom growers. This sometimes occurs,

though not often, during the pin-head stage of the mu shrooms. They will turn dark, cease to grow and soon decay. This trouble may arise from any one of the following causes:

'the use of too much water either at the time of spawning or later; uni avorable temperatures; running the electric fan at too high speed, thereby causing constant drafts; moving the trays after spawningthe use of poor brick spawn as a Starter; and spawning the trays at temperatures above 7 8 degrees Fahrenheit;

I claim:

1. The process for mushroom culture? which consists of producing a compost o manure and black loam formed into a compact mass', seeding the same on all sdes with mushroom spawn, and finally coating the mass surface on all sdes with a coatiug ofhlack loam of plastic 'consistency.

2. The process for mushroom culture,-

which consists of producing a compost of decomposed manure and black loam formed into a compact plastic mass, seeding the same on ali sides With prepared mushroom spawn, and finally coating the mass 'on all sides with a coating of black loam of plastic consistency.

3. The process for mushroom culture, which consists of producing a compost of decomposed horse manure staH-litter and black loam, forming the same into a compact plnstie` mass, seeding the same on 2111 sides with specialiy prepared mushroom spzwn, coating said mass on all sides with a cnsing of rich black lozm, and finally subjecting the prepared and spawned mass to u temperature raugng from to 63 degrces Fnhrcnhcit.

4. The process for mushroom culture. consisting in first forming from fresh horse mnnure and :ccompanying liquids a decomposed mass, mixing said mass With a measured portion of rich black loam to form a plastclody seedng 2111 sdes of said body with prepared mushroom spawn, coating all sidcs of the thus prepared and seeded body with u layer of prepared black loam of plzstic consisteney. and then storing the culture in a durkened properly tcmperatured and 'etihted propagating room.

5. The process for mushroom culture, consisting in first forming from fresh horse mzinure and accompaiying liquids a decomposed` mass, inixing said mass with a mcusured portion of rich black loam to form a plastic body, seeding ali sides of said body with prepared mushroom spawn, coating all sides of the body with plastic black ioam, and then storing the culture in a darkened room temperatured between the minimum temperature of 53 degrees and the maximum temperature of 63 degrees for a period of from six to eight weeks.

In testimony whereof l hereby afx my signature. VERNON STEVES. 

